This discussion was aired on Al-Jazeera English after rumors of Hazara youths picking up arms to defend themselves as the government and security forces had blatantly failed to protect them from the Al-Qaeda linked terrorists outfits.

For viewers in countries where Youtube is banned: 

Is Pakistan’s government unable to provide security for its own citizens? Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a banned Pakistani militant group, continues to target the Shia community in Balochistan province.

Editor's Note: This story was originally published as a Cover Story in March issue of Newsline Magazine.

Brain drain from Balochistan: Story of Ali Raza – a Hazara engineer who was hounded out of Pakistan

Ali Raza, like most youth of his community, grew up in Quetta with ambitions of becoming a ‘big man’ and serving his people and country.

In the PIQUE, February 2013.

The remarkable protests by the Shia community and its sympathisers may have led to a pyrrhic victory that empowers the agents of destruction

It took almost three days for thousands of Shia protesters, mostly those of Hazaras descent and their supporters from other communities, not to mention political parties across the country, to obligate the federal government to spring into action.

February 09, 2013

MOHAMMAD Hussein is in no-man's-land. The 30-year-old Pakistani from Quetta, where about 120 people were blown up in multiple terrorist attacks last month, has been waiting in Indonesia for 10 years for refugee status to enter Australia. The bomb blasts are a rude reminder of why he won't budge from his objective.

Now he's lingering in the waiting room of Jakarta's immigration centre, a respite from the detention area and a reward for his interpreting skills.

از خواب برخاستم. پیامی از مادرم،عظیمه، را در ایمیلم یافتم. مادرم می نویسد. این بار رویدادی را که در همین اواخر شاهدش بوده نوشته است و امید دارد شما بخوانید و با دیگران در موردش حرف بزنید.

قربانی شدن یک دختر به خصومت های فامیلی

عایشه با فامیل خود در یکی از قریه های جوزجان زنده گی می کرد. در آن قریه، خانهء کاکایش هم بود.

Martial Arts expert Hussain Sadiqi was born on 10 march 1979, in the central highlands of Afghanistan Oruzgan Province. He began his Martial Arts training when he was only 9 years old. He attained the top ranking Martial Arts person in Afghanistan in his early young age and become a national champion of Martial Arts at the age of 16. At the age of 18 he became the captain of Afghanistan National Team.

For justice they weep,
the women, men and children
as the dead lie in the open,
as the winter crucifies
the living, as they mourn
the carnage displayed in Quetta
As the children huddle together,
for the warmth, in the biting night
alone, in their grief
alone in their quest,
for justice and for comfort

As they search
children those alive,

His parents named him Irfan Ali but he added ‘Khudi’ to it later on. He strongly believed in Iqbal’s ‘Khudi ko kar buland itna kay hurr taqdeer se pehlay … khuda banday se khud puchay bata teri raza kya hai’.

Ali had an intense devotion to education, which is why he was hugely disappointed when he, like many of his fellow citizens, was unable to complete his schooling due to the worsening security situation in Balochistan, particularly his home city – Quetta.

Yesterday, two bomb blasts ripped through a snooker hall in the town of Quetta in Pakistan, killing 81 people.  We were very saddened to hear that TEDx speaker Irfan Ali, who spoke briefly at TEDxRawalLake just weeks ago, was among those killed.

The organizers of the event shared their sadness with us, through Facebook.

“Irfan Ali was a famous activist who, in his own words, was born to fight for human rights and peace.